History, the Historian and His Work: Issues, Challenges ...

1 IJERT Volume 3 [4] 2012 ~ 36 ~ 2012 Society of Education, India history , the Historian and His Work: Issues, Challenges and Prospects Ezekiel Oladele Adeoti and James Olusegun Adeyeri Department of history and International Studies, Lagos State University, (LASU), Ojo, Nigeria. Email: ABSTRACT The age-old intellectual and pedestrian controversy over the meaning and societal significance of history is bound to persist for yet a long time. However, the strong reliance on historical information, particularly in the Third World countries in recent times underscores the acceptance of history as reality and an outcome of objective research. Yet, the writing of history is beset with a legion of problems. Significantly, these problems to a large extent are domiciled in the nature of history itself. This paper is a critical discourse of the major Challenges the Historian of today encounters in his task of reconstructing the past.

2 The study examines the nature of history as it relates to the problems of historical research, and concludes that the continued relevance of history and historians can only be guaranteed if the latter consistently and diligently address these Challenges through appropriate measures. INTRODUCTION This paper is a bird-eye account of the Challenges that confront the Historian in the onerous task of reconstructing the past, as well as the prospects of surmounting them. True, there is in existence an enormous body of literature on the nature of history , and the work of the Historian . However, this current effort is intended to provide useful and refreshing insights for our understanding of the major obstacles confronting the Historian in his task, and the possible solutions. For sake of clarity and ease of analysis, this essay is divided into the following sub-sections: 1.

3 Introduction 2. Nature of history : Some Conceptual Clarifications 3. Challenges to Historical Research 4. Possible Solutions 5. Conclusion. THE NATURE OF history : SOME CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATIONS The term history has become an ubiquitous word conceptualized differently by various scholars. For instance, the Traditional conception of history epitomized by historians like Herodotus (Father of history ), his great successor Thucydides, Livy and Tacitus, the greatest of the Roman historians, viewed history as any written narrative of events (Osokoya, 1996). This definition is however inadequate and unacceptable in view of contemporary realities. First, the definition did not acknowledge the development of history overtime. Second, it did not recognize the division of the discipline into such fields as political, social, economic, military intellectual, constitutional and educational history .

4 Third, the conception of history as mere narration of events is now archaic because history has metamorphosed from mere description of events into critical and analytical interpretation of events (Osokoya, 1996). Arthur Marwick on his own part, provided a tripartite definition of history . First, he defined history as the entire human past as it actually happened , second, as man s attempt to describe and interprete the past and third, as a systematic study of the past (Marwick 1970). However, it must be noted that in contemporary times, history as a field of knowledge encompasses not only past events but also their consequences. In addition, not all events of the past capture the interest of the Historian , rather important historical events with consequences are usually preferred. It is in this light that Walsh defines history as a reconstruction of the past which is both intelligent and intelligible (Walsh, 1967).

5 In a similar vein, Geoffrey Barraclough defines history as the attempt Original Article International Journal of Educational Research and Technology ISSN 0976-4089 IJERT: Volume 3 [4] December 2012: 36 -41 All Rights Reserved Society of Education, India ISO 9001: 2008 Certified Organization Website: IJERT Volume 3 [4] 2012 ~ 37 ~ 2012 Society of Education, India to discover on the basis of fragmentary evidence the significant things about the past , noting that the history we read, though based on facts, is strictly speaking not factual at all, but a series of accepted judgements (Barraclough, 1955). For Edward Carr, history is a continuous process of interaction between the present and the past , affirming that, interpretation is the lifeblood of history (Carr, 1961). The point in all these is that there is yet to be unanimity regarding the exact meaning of history .

6 However, it is possible and desirable to identify certain features which may be described as defining characteristics of history . This is important because history , is the product of historical research, and therefore the nature of history and of historical research are symbiotic. One of the basic characteristics of history is in its humanistic nature (Ajetunmobi, 2005). history concerns human actions in the past. It involves other actions that emanate from human society which can be perceived by ordinary human senses and powers. Hence, actions or events attributed to the gods or spirits are not to be regarded as history . Since history relies on evidence and the evidences from believers in spirits, gods and goddesses are mythical, speculative, extraordinary, unscientific and illogical, they are considered outside the action of man.

7 history is fragmentary by nature. It focuses on aspects or parts of an event, but not the whole event. No matter the efforts of an Historian , it is impossible for him to capture everything about his choice of study . Availability of evidence, its reliability and consistency, available time and the objectives of the study shape his selection and utilization of sources and evidence. As A I Akinjogbin notes, history is an organized critical study of such past activities of human beings as had produced significant effects on subsequent course of events (Adeniran, 2002). history terminates in the present. As Hegel posits, history cannot talk of the future because nothing has happened in the future in question. Thus, the future to the Historian is not an object of knowledge but of hopes, aspirations and fears, elements which are not history .

8 history is dynamic, in a sense. history is always in a state of flux because it deals with a state of continuous change (Barraclough, 1975). Human society which is the primary focus of history involves the cyclical manifestations of existence. Evidence is the pillar of historical research. This is because without evidence there will be no historical interpretation. The submission of the Historian is not a product of speculation or imagination. history is not fabricated and thus cannot be manufactured. Instead, evidence is the rubric upon which history stands. Finally, history is an outcome of diligent research. history is critical in the selection, interpretation and analysis of available data. It is these features of history that have made it look science (Ajetunmobi, 2005). These aspects of history imply that what is presented as history is a product of honest inquiry and not that of the Historian s sensibilities or imagination.

9 Challenges TO HISTORICAL RESEARCH The major Challenges to historical research revolve around the problems of sources, knowledge, explanation, objectivity, choice of subject, and the peculiar problems of contemporary history . Sources The problem of sources is a serious challenge to the Historian in the task of reconstructing the past. The quality of a historical study is determined largely by the manner in which sources are collected and used. Sources are basic in historical research and they are many and varied. The manner in which sources are recovered, examined, and preserved are important parts of historical research. The importance of recovery, examination and preservation lies in the fact that they provide a basis for the assessment and interpretation of sources in order to achieve the objective of historical research (Osarhieme, 1993).

10 While sources must be reliable and valid, it is important to strive at understanding the origins of the sources because no matter how meticulous the process of recovery, interpretation and presentation might be the reconstruction of the past goes beyond mere summing up of reliable information available in the sources. A major problem facing the Historian in his work is that he has no direct access to the past, since events happen and disappear. What is then left of the past are traces or fragments of information which may be in the form of primary, secondary or tertiary sources. The situation is even more daunting for the Historian engaged in the reconstruction of the history of pre-literate peoples. The Adeoti and Adeyeri IJERT Volume 3 [4] 2012 ~ 38 ~ 2012 Society of Education, India absence of written sources upon which conventional history rests presents its own problems.